Screen Free Activities for Kids
The world we live in is so fast-paced and filled with constant distractions, it’s no wonder that when there’s down time, our kids complain “I’m bored!” I’m a firm believer that kids need to experience boredom and need to learn to entertain themselves. They don’t need every minute of the day planned for them, but they do sometimes need some guidance to know what to do in those moments. And preferably off screens! I’ve put together some lists of our favorite screen free activities for kids, and some free printables for your kids to use on their own.
Whether you’re looking for activities to keep the kids busy over the summer or just a way to encourage independence, these printables will help you deal with the “I’m bored” comments – maybe even before they start!
Screen free activities for kids
If you download the free printables, you’ll get the full list of activities, but I thought I’d share my top ten activities from the list:
- Create something out of cardboard (who doesn’t have random Amazon boxes around?)
- Create a coded message
- Follow a new recipe
- Make a boat and have a race
5. Put on a play
6. Identify plants in your yard
7. Sew or embroider
8. Learn to tie different knots
9. Set up a pretend store
10. Play a board game
There are two types of printables included in the free download – two pages that give pictures and words for your littles – the ones who read and the ones who can’t. You’ll also get another page that your older kids can look at to pick and choose from a bigger list.
This means that you can hand the lists over to your kids (maybe even laminate them and put them on your fridge!) and let them choose what to do independently. So you’re encouraging them to figure things out on their own, but giving them a little bit of guidance.